2-18-715. Legislative findings and purpose. (1) The legislature finds that:
(a) air ambulance services provide a necessary, and sometimes lifesaving, means of transporting Montanans experiencing health emergencies;
(b) Montanans desire adequate access to air ambulance services;
(c) in many cases the high charges assessed by out-of-network air ambulance services and limited insurer and health plan reimbursements have resulted in Montanans incurring excessive out-of-pocket expenses; and
(d) the federal Airline Deregulation Act preempts states from enacting any law related to a price, route, or service of an air carrier, which is interpreted as applying to air ambulance services.
(2) The purpose of 2-18-715 through 2-18-720 is to prevent Montanans from incurring excessive out-of-pocket expenses in out-of-network air ambulance situations in a manner that is not preempted by the Airline Deregulation Act.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 231, L. 2017.
Structure Montana Code Annotated
Title 2. Government Structure and Administration
Chapter 18. State Employee Classification, Compensation, and Benefits
Part 7. Group Insurance Generally
2-18-702. Group insurance for public employees and officers
2-18-704. Mandatory provisions
2-18-706. through 2-18-710 reserved
2-18-711. Cooperative purchasing of employee benefit services and insurance products -- procedures
2-18-712. through 2-18-714 reserved
2-18-715. Legislative findings and purpose
2-18-717. Disclosures by air ambulance service
2-18-718. Independent dispute resolution
2-18-719. Independent dispute resolution procedure -- exemptions
2-18-720. Insurance commissioner duties -- independent reviewer qualifications